What: All Issues :
Family Planning :
Abortion :
H.R. 748. Abortion/Vote on Amendment to Exempt Certain Drivers and Members of Medical Profession from the Provisions of Bill to Prohibit Anyone From Transporting a Minor Across State Lines to Seek an Abortion for the Purpose of Avoiding State Parental Consent or Notification Laws. (2005 house Roll Call 141)

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H.R. 748. Abortion/Vote on Amendment to Exempt Certain Drivers and Members of Medical Profession from the Provisions of Bill to Prohibit Anyone From Transporting a Minor Across State Lines to Seek an Abortion for the Purpose of Avoiding State Parental Consent or Notification Laws.

In this vote, the House rejected an amendment offered by Robert Scott (D-VA) to H.R. 748. H.R. 748 was a bill to prohibit anyone from transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of avoiding state parental consent or notification laws to seek an abortion. Scott's amendment would have exempted taxicab drivers, bus drivers, nurses, medical providers or others in the business of professional transport from prosecution or civil liability (i.e., suit from, for example, a parent) under the bill. Making the Progressive argument, Scott noted that the bill would make these people "criminals for the simple task of doing their job, transporting someone between two places. Now, the bill also makes conspiracy and accessory after the fact criminal violations, so a nurse or receptionist or sorority sister who calls the cab could also be prosecuted for the Federal crime." Most Republicans opposed the amendment, calling it "an assault on the family," (Steve Chabot (R-OH)), and noting that, "[t]he amendment would allow the creation of an entire for-profit, interstate taxicab network specifically designed to thwart State parental notification laws." (James Sensenbrenner (R-WI).) They also maintained that someone like a cab driver who had no knowledge of why he was driving someone to a location where she would receive an abortion would not have the required criminal intent and thus could not be prosecuted under the bill's provisions. The House defeated Progressives and this amendment by a vote of 179 to 245, with 34 Democrats crossing party lines to vote with Republicans against the amendment, and 15 Republicans opting to vote with the Democrats. Thus, taxicab drivers, bus drivers, nurses, medical providers or others in the business of professional transport could still be prosecuted and/or sued under the bill's provisions for transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of avoiding state parental consent or notification laws to seek an abortion.